He didn’t blame her at all. It just helped confirm his thought. It had been a while since she’d gotten some. If he had to guess, she might still have been embarrassed to see him face to face, even though he’d told her that everything was fine. It was that, or she needed to put some physical distance between them because she wasn’t sure what she would do next time.
Rohan couldn’t blame her for that. He felt the same way. He wouldn’t object to whatever it was she wanted to do and would take it at her pace. He didn’t mind waiting, and if she didn’t want to be intimate anytime soon, he was completely fine with that.
“They’re going well.”
“I figured they were if she introduced her sisters to you.”
“Mm...that was more of an accident.”
“But she didn’t push you away. Which brings me to my next question. Are you inviting her and her sisters for Thanksgiving?”
“I am,” he responded. “Since we’re having it at my place. I feel like that would make her more comfortable.”
“You don’t think it’s too early to meet the family?”
He shrugged. “Jalen has met you and Alynn; her sisters have met Alynn. Aside from that, there’s just Mom, and I can only seeher enjoying being around so many kids since you won’t give her another grandchild.”
“You mean since you won’t,” Trent retorted, and they both laughed.
The two of them turned their attention back to the television until the doorbell chimed. Rohan got up and headed towards the front door as his niece came down the hall yelling, “Pizza’s here!”
After he’d paid the delivery driver, the three of them headed into the kitchen. He placed the box on the island as his brother got out plates, and Alynn went to the refrigerator to get drinks.
They took their plates into the living room, where Alynn turned the channel to a cartoon that neither he nor his brother would pay attention to.
????????????
“It’s mine! Give it back!”
Jalen groaned to herself. She had been trying to study for the past hour, and she honestly hadn’t been having any luck. Today was one of those rare days when the twins woke up and decided they were going to be enemies. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was non-stop until they went to bed.
Placing the textbook on the dining table, she got up and went down the hall to where the screaming was happening, only to find her youngest two siblings playing tug-of-war with what looked like a sock. Mikal was on her bed, looking as if she were two seconds away from snapping.
“What is going on here?” Jalen questioned, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Omari is trying to take my sock,” Nathan told her.
Omari let out a huff. “This one is mine. That one,” she started, pointing to the matching sock on the floor. “Is yours.”
Jalen did her best not to roll her eyes. While she didn’t always make it a point to buy them identical things. Socks were one of those things that she purchased in similar packages. It just made it easier on the rare days they wanted to dress alike.
Her first thought was to grab the other pair out of their drawer to show them that they each had a pair.
“I’ve already tried that,” Mikal told her with a small sigh, as the twins went back to arguing. “They don’t care about the other pair at all. Nathan just wants that sock. Even though the other one is exactly the same.”
She nodded, understanding. “Why don’t you go into my room and read your comic?” Jalen told her, trying to give her little sister an out from the noise.
“Kodi’s studying in there,” Mikal informed her, and Jalen furrowed her brow. “Landon is on the phone and is being too loud,” her little sister clarified. “I don’t want to bother her.”
“Stop!” Omari screamed.
“Girls!” Jalen snapped, and they turned to look at her wide-eyed.
She hardly ever raised her voice to any of them. Preferring instead to be the complete opposite of their mother, when she had wanted to be around. Their mother used force, raised voices, and borderline beatings to discipline. Though she and Kodi were the recipients of it more than the younger four. Even when they had done nothing. She could recall Landon getting one or two as well. Jalen’s approach had always been gentle parenting, preferring to talk to them first.
“Cut it out, or I’m going to take it, and the two of you will sit across from each other saying nice things, withnoice cream this weekend.”
“But—” Nathan said, and Omari threw her hand over her older twin’s mouth.
